Woman gets three years in home invasion case

Her teenage-like voice sounded out of place Tuesday in a Mahoning County Common Pleas Courtroom as Alyssa Dimuzio apologized to a man she admitted setting up so he could be robbed.

The 21- year-old mother of three sheepishly asked Judge John Durkin if she could apologize to the 73-year-old man who was the victim, and when he gave his approval, she turned around and said: “I want to say I’m sorry.”

Dimuzio, of Salem, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary for a Jan. 23 home invasion at an East Midlothian Boulevard home. The sentence will run concurrently to two separate sentences she is serving from Columbiana County Common Pleas Court in unrelated cases that total two years and nine months in prison.

Police said Dimuzio and her mother were living with the victim, and they arranged for three men to come to the home, barge in and steal the man’s guns as well as his truck.

Her mother, Michelle Dimuzio, 42, was expected to be sentenced earlier in the day Tuesday, but that was postponed because her attorney was ill.

Three other defendants are expected to be sentenced later for their roles in the case.

Dimuzio has agreed to pay $5,000 restitution to the victim and was also the only one of the five who cooperated with police. Her attorney, Ed Hartwig, told the judge the crime was fueled by her addiction to drugs.

The victim, who looked frail and needed a cane, told the judge he appreciated the fact that Dimuzio helped police find the people responsible.

“She’s the only one that tried to help me,” the victim said.

The victim urged Dimuzio to go back to Salem when her prison sentence is completed, get a job and get drug treatment.

He also told her she needs to stay away from her mother.

“If she stays away from her mother, she’ll stay away from a lot of problems,” the victim said.